by Ronald Roenigk
Publisher
Children's Memorial Hospital (CMH) has announced its intentions to explore options for building a replacement hospital that includes areas outside of their Lincoln Park home. A site evaluation and ranking is expected to be completed by December with a concept and options for development ready by January of 2005.
"We're not going anywhere in the near future but in February the [CMH] Board gave us the go-ahead to explore options to build a replacement hospital," said Kathleen Ellis, communications manager for CMH. "We're looking at a number of options and weighing the many criteria that play into this decision."
"The work is moving at a very rapid pace but there is much more to be done," said Patrick Magoon, CEO of CMH. "We've met and surveyed 1,019 physicians as well as our board of parents [of patients], and we're right there. We know what we need and we know what we can afford and won't go beyond that."
The world famous and well-loved children's hospital located at Fullerton Ave. and Halsted St. has been located in Lincoln Park for over 100 years and now finds the surging cost of real estate as high a hurdle for them as for new neighbors looking for affordable housing in the toney enclave. "We have extended our search but it still includes Lincoln Park," said Ellis. "We need the best location that's convenient for our patients, their families and our 3,000 plus staff, and one that allows us to grow needed clinical programs for years to come." In 2003 CMH served 93,508 children with total outpatient visits of 320,024.
No decision is expected to be announced until next year and not before the real estate has been secured. CMH has formed a Facilities Subcommittee that met in late September to announce that their search area is now bordered by Lake Shore Dr. on the east, the Kennedy Expressway on the west, the Chicago River on the south and Belmont Ave. on the north. All options are open. Area neighbors have often suggested CMH should take over the shuttered Columbus Hospital on Lake View adjacent to Lincoln Park or purchase the Lincoln Park Hospital (once known as Grant Hospital) at Lincoln Ave. and Webster St.
CMH has hired several consultants, including Kurt Salmon Associates, to work on program development and planning services, U.S. Equities for real estate and Anderson Mikos Architects. These consultants' experience in working with children's hospitals will help with the facilities planning. These consultants will analyze hospital services and functions to determine the square footage and footprint needed for the expansion. The hospital and its consultants have conducted extensive interviews and focus groups with their employees, physicians, board members, patient families and the community to gain input on important site search criteria.
While all CMH property is under consideration, hospital management is reluctant to consider rebuilding their 152,033 square foot flagship tower on Lincoln and Fullerton avenues due to the disruption it will cause to patient care. The current property sits on 3.5 acres. |
